粉土基质吸力的新型量测装置与土-水特征研究

以非饱和土张力计原理为基础,制作了一种新型的基质吸力量测装置,并通过实测过程的不断总结与改进,得到了一种成本低廉、制作简单、操作便利、试验快速和结果可靠的非饱和土基质吸力量测装置,以此装置测定了不同体积含水率、不同压实度和干湿循环后粉土的基质吸力变化规律,得到了不同压实度粉土的土-水特征曲线,并通过Origin软件中的Boltzmann模型进行拟合对比分析,得到了与压实度相关的土-水特征曲线,比较了不同压实度粉土的含水率变化对基质吸力的不同影响特点。试验结果表明,干湿循环对粉土的基质吸力和强度有很大影响。     

高吸力下黏性土的抗剪强度和体变特性

非饱和土中土-水之间的相互作用可区分为毛细作用和吸附作用,已有的非饱和土力学特性的研究大都局限于较低吸力、毛细作用占优范围。实践中由于环境的变化,地表土体常经历干湿循环及处在低含水率、高吸力状态,此时吸附作用占优。针对高岭土-河砂配制的非膨胀性黏性土,采用饱和盐溶液蒸汽平衡法,从脱湿和吸湿两种吸力路径下对土体施加高吸力。测试了高吸力下土体的强度和变形特性,试验中选用了0（接近无侧限）、25、50、100 kPa共4组小围压。试验结果表明,高吸力下土体表现为应变软化型破坏和剪胀性。随着围压的施加,土体从沿纵向开裂的张裂破坏过渡为剪切破坏。验证了修正后的Bishop非饱和土强度公式不适用于描述高吸力时峰值抗剪强度的变化,得到了高吸力下峰值抗剪强度可用相对于净应力的临界状态强度和剪胀作用来表示。分析发现,高吸力时土体的抗剪强度和比表面积直接相关,吸力对土体抗剪强度的作用取决于土体集聚体组构的形成和发展程度及其导致的剪胀作用。     

A novel approach for modelling soil–water characteristic curves with hysteresis

Soil–water characteristic curves can be defined as the relationship between the degree of saturation and suction of an unsaturated soil. Geomaterials, such as clays, sands, and geotextiles, usually exhibit hysteresis between drying and wetting curves. In addition, each drying and wetting curve is nonlinear in shape, which may be approximated by sigmoid curves. In geotechnical engineering, it is common to adopt analytical expressions for these curves that must be calibrated iteratively by trying different values for the constitutive parameters. In this paper, a novel approach for modelling the nonlinear saturation–suction response with hysteresis is presented, where a simple differential equation is introduced to describe the shapes of the curves. The great advantage of this new technique is the ease with which the parameters can be determined. In addition, the implementation of the resulting equations into fully hydro-mechanical models for numerical analyses is straightforward. Some features of the behaviour predicted with the new representation are studied and validations against real laboratory curves for soils are presented. The technique is simple, yet versatile due to the rational basis used in the deduction of the equations, which allows for future extensions to soils displaying more complex unsaturated behaviour.     

Predicting Hysteresis of the Water Retention Curve from Basic Properties of Granular Soils

The water retention curve (WRC), which represents the relationship between volumetric water content (θ) and suction (ψ), is required to analyze the hydro-geotechnical response of unsaturated soils. The laboratory (or field) determination of the WRC can however be time consuming and difficult to conduct. A practical alternative, particularly useful at the preliminary stages of a project, is to estimate the WRC using a predictive model based on basic geotechnical properties that are easy to obtain. One common limitation of such predictive models is due to hysteresis effects, which are not taken into account by most of these models. The authors present in this paper an extended version of the Modified Kovács (MK) predictive model that incorporates hysteresis of the WRC along different paths, including the main wetting and drying curves and the wetting and drying scanning curves for granular soils. The model formulation is presented, and predictions are compared to experimental data obtained on different granular soils. The results show a good agreement for the main and scanning curves.     

全吸力范围南阳膨胀土的土-水特征曲线

膨胀土的失水收缩、吸水膨胀过程分别对应着土-水特征曲线的脱湿和吸湿阶段。土-水特征曲线对于研究非饱和土的水力与力学特性有着重要作用。用压力板法（吸力范围0～1.5 MPa）、滤纸法（吸力范围0～40 MPa）和蒸汽平衡法（吸力范围3～368 MPa）,分别对南阳膨胀土进行了土-水特性试验,得到全吸力范围内的土-水特征曲线。试验结果表明：初始孔隙比大致相同土样的土-水特征曲线,在低吸力范围内脱湿曲线与吸湿曲线具有明显的滞回现象。当吸力大于300 MPa时,土-水特征曲线的滞回效应基本消失,即脱湿曲线与吸湿曲线基本重合。滤纸法所测出的土-水特性落在主脱湿和主吸湿曲线的滞回圈内。当吸力等于367.54 MPa时,含水率仅为0.325%,几乎近于0。孔隙比随着吸力的变化规律中,不仅受到吸力大小的影响,还受到吸力历史和吸力路径影响;孔隙比与吸力关系中,相同吸力时吸湿路径的孔隙比要比脱湿路径的大;在吸力低范围,吸湿路径与脱湿路径的孔隙比相近。孔隙比与饱和度关系因吸力路径的不同也存在着明显的滞回效应,接近饱和时趋近一致。变吸力情况条件下,饱和度随着孔隙比的增加而增加,蒸汽平衡法得出的孔隙比与饱和度的关系具有明显的线性关系,而压力板法做出来的低吸力范围内的线性关系不明显。     

化学溶液作用下基于压实膨润土孔隙结构演化的土水特征模型研究

在高放废弃物深地质处置库复杂的地下水环境影响下,缓冲/回填材料微观孔隙结构的改变通常会大大影响其水力性质.为探究这种影响,众多学者从不同理论出发,建立了相应的土水特征模型.然而,针对这些模型的对比研究较少,且缺少将模型应用于考虑化学影响的情况.在压实膨润土微观结构分析的基础上,基于分形理论和双孔理论,分别构建了压实膨润...     

Microstructural deformation mechanisms of unsaturated granular soils

A discrete model for unsaturated granular soils has been developed. Three discrete entities have been defined: particles, water menisci and pores. Local interaction forces and water transfer mechanisms have been integrated into a model through the appropriate equilibrium and balance equations. The results of several numerical tests using this model have been described and discussed. Simulations include wetting and drying under load tests, the application of suction cycles and the effect of a deviatoric stress ratio on wetting‐induced collapse. The model reacts just as true granular soil samples behave in laboratory tests. The model provides a new insight into the internal mechanisms leading to large‐scale features of behaviour such as wetting‐induced collapse or the increase in soil strength provided by suction. The paper also stresses that matric suction changes acting on a granular structure are capable of explaining most of the macroscopic features of stress–strain behaviour. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A study of the water retention curve of lime-treated London Clay

This paper investigates the drying and wetting soil water retention curves (SWRCs) of statically compacted lime-stabilised London Clay specimens. A series of tests were performed using the contact filter paper method, pressure plate apparatus and a suction-controlled triaxial system incorporating the axis translation technique. These investigated the water retention of the soil under different boundary and stress-state conditions and simultaneously determined the volume change in the soil during drying and wetting. Factors relevant to the lime treatment of soils, such as curing period and method (air vs. water curing), were also considered. Finally, the hysteresis of the SWRC of the chemically treated soil (for which there appears to be a lack of information in the international literature) was investigated. The results showed that the treatment with lime increased the volumetric stability but reduced the water retention ability due to a more open structure enabled by the flocculation and chemical bonding effects. Curing period and method effect appears to be small. Hysteresis was noted to some degree in all instances.     

Global representation of the drying–wetting curves of four engineering soils: experiments and correlations

The main objective of this paper is to examine how different engineering soils react to environmental variations and to provide correlations to characterize their behaviour under null external mechanical stress. Two French and two Algerian soils with liquid limits ranging from 36 to 112 were prepared under both slurry and Proctor compaction conditions, and then subjected to drying–wetting paths with suction controlled from several kPa to several hundreds of MPa. Experimental results are presented in five diagrams to show globally and simultaneously the shrinkage–swelling, saturation–desaturation and water retention characteristics. A reasonable consistency was observed between the oedometric and drying curves of slurry, confirming the equivalence between hydraulic loading (suction) and mechanical loading (consolidation stress) on the volume change behaviour of different soils. As an intrinsic parameter of soil nature, liquid limit was found to have a significant influence on the shrinkage limit, air-entry suction and compressibility of both slurry and compacted samples. For that reason, correlations between these characteristics and liquid limit were set up, providing a good basis for a first estimation of the drying–wetting curves. At the micro-scale, new experimental results were obtained: either on drying or wetting path, the micro-pores were almost unaffected, whereas, when matrix suction increased from 0.1 to 8 MPa, the volume of macro-pores decreased to quasi-closure. At last, the analogy between the compaction and drying–wetting curves, and the comparison of different methods to determine the water retention curve were addressed. Such analogies and comparisons contribute to a better understanding of the mechanisms of mechanical stress and suction.     

Hydromechanical behaviour of a compacted swelling soil over a wide suction range

A study of the hydromechanical behaviour of a compacted swelling material in the range of suctions comprised between 0 and 40 MPa was performed. This study has required the development of two kinds of suction controlled oedometer devices based on two different suction control techniques. In the range of suctions higher than 8.5 MPa, the saturated salt solutions method was used and a new oedometer using this suction control technique was developed. For suctions lower than 8.5 MPa an osmotic oedometer was used. Despite the differences between the applied suction components (matric and total), the correlation between the two methods was verified for the tested material. The second part of the paper presents a set of oedometer tests conducted under various suctions. The effect of the applied suction on the hydromechanical parameters was studied. First, two swelling phases were highlighted: a low swelling phase above a suction of 4 MPa and a high swelling one below this value. These phases were considered as being related to the microstructure of compacted swelling clays. Secondly, it was shown that the slopes of the elastic part and of the plastic part of the consolidation curves were not influenced significantly by the applied suctions. In opposition, the preconsolidation pressure is affected by the decrease of the applied suctions even in the low swelling phase. Such a behaviour could be explained by the effects of wetting on the microstructure.     

Hydromechanical behaviour of an expansive bentonite/silt mixture in cyclic suction-controlled drying and wetting tests

To further our knowledge of coupling between the hydraulic cycles and mechanical behaviour of the swelling soils, this paper presents an experimental study on a bentonite/silt mixture using an odometer with suction controlled by the osmotic technique. A loading/unloading cycle was applied to each of the samples at different constant suctions (0, 2, 3 and 8 MPa). Moreover, successive wetting and drying cycles were applied under constant vertical stress at a suction range of 0 to 8 MPa, followed by a loading/unloading cycle at similar suctions (0, 2, 3 and 8 MPa). Finally, the compression curves of the aforementioned suctions with and without the application of suction cycles were compared, so as to analyse the influence of hydraulic cycles on the soil fabric and the mechanical parameters. It is observed that the wetting and drying cycles applied to both the micro- and macrostructure significantly influenced the virgin compression index λ(s), the apparent preconsolidation stress p₀(s) and the elastic compression index values κ. However, the hydraulic cycles imposed only on the micro- or macrostructure induce negligible changes in the mechanical parameters of the soil.     

Study of desiccation crack initiation and development at ground surface

Cracks are common in clayey or expansive soils and provide preferential pathways for water infiltration into soils. A field study was conducted to investigate the mechanisms of initiation and development of desiccation cracks on two soils. Based on results of the field study and measurements of soil-water retention curves and soil shrinkage properties in the laboratory, the conditions of crack initiation and the development of crack geometric parameters (i.e., crack porosity, crack aperture, and crack density) with water content or drying time were quantified. The results show that desiccation cracks developed in three stages: initial stage, primary stage, and steady state stage. In the initial stage, few cracks developed with gradually decreasing water content. When the water content reached a critical value for crack initiation, cracks developed quickly and this was the start of the primary stage. The critical suction at crack initiation was calculated using a stress criterion, which is in the range of 5.3–21.3 times the preconsolidation pressure of the soil. As the water content approached the shrinkage limit of the soil, cracks developed slowly and approached a steady state. The cracks were found to be repeatable during three drying–wetting cycles.     

非饱和含黏土砂毛细上升试验研究

采用MP406水分传感器、WM-1负压计和DT80数据记录仪等设备,开发了一套毛细上升试验系统,对非饱和含黏土砂做了3个不同初始含水率的毛细上升试验,得到了试样各个断面的含水率和吸力随时间的变化规律。研究表明：初始含水率对毛细上升高度和上升速度有显著影响,本套系统可测定毛细上升的实际高度,在土样渗透系数未知的情况下可对不同土样测定其毛细上升的最大高度;可根据湿润锋运动速度、土样含水率变化和吸力变化数值,确定非饱和土渗水系数,从而避免了渗透系数确定费时、费力的困难;可由吸力预测试样的渗水系数,只需测定该土的土-水特征曲线或进行吸力量测即可确定出该土在这一吸力下的渗水系数;并拟合出不同初始含水率试样的湿润锋随时间变化规律     

Some investigations to quantify hysteresis associated with water retention behaviour of fine-grained soils

The soil water retention characteristics curve (SWRC) has been reported to be quite useful for estimation of unsaturated soil properties. However, the uniqueness of SWRC is questionable due to hysteresis associated with the drying- and wetting-path SWRCs and this poses great challenge in utilising the SWRC for reliable estimation of unsaturated soil properties. Although hysteresis associated with SWRCs has been extensively studied for coarse-grained soils, due to limited studies on wetting-path SWRC for fine-grained soils, the hysteresis for fine-grained soils is not well understood. The present work attempts to address this gap, by studying the drying- and wetting-path SWRCs for eight different fine-grained soils by employing Dew point Potentiameter (WP4C®), Environmental Chamber and Controlled Water Sprinkling method. The study employs the concept of ‘Suction Hysteresis’, ψ_h, for quantification of hysteresis. Further, the influence of various soil-specific properties on the variation of ψ_h-water content relationship (viz., slope of variation of suction hysteresis, S_ψh) has also been studied and demonstrated. The findings of the study are quite encouraging and it has been realised that extensive studies on soils of different characteristics would be quite useful in quantifying the variation of SWRC during drying and wetting cycles.     

基于孔径分布的全风化泥岩持水曲线推算

采用压力板法、滤纸法和饱和盐溶液蒸气平衡法,分别对取自广西岑溪滑坡现场的全风化泥岩原状样进行了持水特性试验,得到全吸力范围内的持水曲线;用压汞试验测试经受不同吸力原状样的孔径分布,并用此分布曲线推算持水曲线。试验结果表明：全风化泥岩原状样的进气值为110 kPa,用3种方法可测得全风化泥岩的全吸力范围内的持水曲线。全风化泥岩原状样的孔隙大小分布可认为单峰结构,其孔隙的孔径主要分布在10～1 000 nm,但也有孔径在50～300 ?m范围内的小部分孔隙存在,主要因为原状样中存在少量的原生裂隙。利用3个经受过不同吸力土样的孔径分布分别推算其持水曲线,3条曲线组合与实测值比较表明,用一次压汞试验结果（孔径大小分布曲线）预测全吸力范围内的持水曲线精度较低,而选取各自吸力范围段的预测曲线组合而成全吸力范围持水曲线,与试验数据更为接近。     

初始孔隙比对高吸力下非饱和土土水特性的影响

在我国西北干旱半干旱地区,处于高吸力范围内的非饱和土广泛存在于各种岩土工程中。非饱和土土水特性的研究是非饱和土渗流、强度与变形研究的基础。为研究高吸力下不同初始孔隙比非饱和土的土水特性,以一种粉土试样作为研究对象,采用饱和盐溶液蒸汽平衡法控制土试样的吸力,利用阿基米德原理量测不规则土试样的体积,通过修正的Van-Gen...     

多次干湿循环后土-水特征曲线的模拟

目前对于土体的干湿循环过程中变形、强度变化规律研究较多,而对经过多次干湿循环后土-水特征曲线的试验研究较少。由于吸力平衡需要时间太长,对干湿循环过程中土-水特征曲线的研究也多限于单次的干湿循环试验。但考虑到实际岩土工程中气候条件的多变性和自然环境的复杂性,一般土体均要经历多次干湿循环,因此,对多次干湿循环后的土-水特性曲线研究显得非常重要。结合已有的试验数据总结脱湿曲线与吸湿曲线随着干湿循环次数的变化规律,通过引入一个与干湿循环次数有关的函数,提出能预测多次干湿循环后土-水特征曲线的方法。本方法仅需土-水特征曲线的首次干湿循环脱湿与吸湿曲线和塑性指数,就可以预测多次干湿循环后的土-水特征曲线。     

压实黏质砂土脱湿过程影响机制的核磁共振分析

通过对具有不同初始含水率和干密度的两种压实黏质砂土的脱湿曲线进行测试、分析和对比,并结合核磁共振技术,探讨了干密度、初始含水率和土样组分对压实黏质砂土脱湿过程的影响规律。利用核磁共振测得了试样在各级吸力下的T2时间（横向弛豫时间）分布曲线,定性地探讨了不同吸力下试样中的水分分布特征,揭示了干密度、初始含水率和土样组分对试样脱湿过程的微观机制影响。试验结果表明：干密度仅在低基质吸力条件下对试样脱湿过程产生重要影响,而在高吸力条件下初始含水率和试样组分起主导作用;核磁共振结果证实在压实黏质砂土中,小孔隙结构主要由初始含水率和试样组分控制,而大孔隙的结构主要取决于干密度;试样组分对压实土的内部结构和孔隙大小分布的影响比初始含水率大。     

土-水特征曲线滞后现象的微观机制与计算分析

对吸湿与脱湿过程中引起非饱和土土-水特征曲线滞后性质进行机制分析,认为在微观角度看,接触角的差异是主要原因。基于热力学原理,假定粒间弯液面为一圆弧,综合考虑不等径颗粒半径比、接触角等因素,应用几何关系导得了两接触土颗粒填充角之间的迭代关系,并进行编程计算。在此基础上,引入热力学弯液面压强计算公式和水量体积计算公式,得到了不等径土颗粒间基质吸力－水量计算方法。应用该方法对不同接触角条件下的单个弯液面和不同堆积形式土粒的土-水特征曲线进行了解算,结果表明,由于接触角不同,土-水特征曲线具有明显的滞后现象;孔隙填充将引起低吸力状态土体含水率增加,其对松散颗粒影响较大,含水率可增大达90%;颗粒堆积形式及级配对接触角不同引起的滞后现象影响不大。此外,仅考虑接触角因素无法解释滞回圈的形成,其计算理论有待进一步深入研究。